New Year’s where?…

Party your way in to 2015 at one of these pads, that range from palatial to pretty and grand to groovy…

The Cob, nr Bude, Devon

Family-friendly needn’t mean design deadzone, as this barn conversion by award-winning architects Feilden Fowles proves. The light-filled, vast open-plan space is perfect for entertaining as the kitchen diner and living space are comfortably entwined. And when you crash you can expect king size beds and REN toiletries for added luxury. Kids will love the bunk beds, the trampoline and the chickens to chase outside. For Christmas and New Year the house will be festively decorated and a welcome pack of essentials is provided, with everything you’ll need for a New Year’s Day fry-up.

The cosy log burner makes the living room a great place to watch the wildlife in the surrounding countryside and there are countless walks on your doorstep – including a New Year’s Day wander along the beach at Bude perhaps? Or to the Old Smithy pub in Welcombe

Have the run of your own 16th-century castle surrounded by rolling hills on the Scottish Borders. This ancient tower has been brought right up to date with sumptuous modern interiors and king-size handmade Duxiana beds and ensuite bedrooms.

The great hall has a huge stone fireplace with an openfire, while there’s a further sitting room, bar and games room (complete with piano, table tennis and board games). IN the kitchen and dining room, you can grapple with the AGA, or pre-book to have a chef come and cook for you.

A stone’s throw from Bowhill House and Country Estate, there are outdoor pursuits – think horse-riding, clay pigeon shooting, trout fishing – a woodland adventure playground and walks with a tea room (or bar) at the end of them.

This being a tower, you can expect lots of spiral staircases over four floors – perhaps not one for the very young, old, or inebriated!

Just outside Hay on Wye, this gorgeous oak-beamed barn conversion blends old and new to stunning effect. The huge dining table, hewn from a single tree trunk, is an impressive place to party, while the handmade kitchen is a chef’s dream. The five, cool-country bedrooms have views that stretch across the Black Mountains and Wye Valley.

If you’re in need of a New Year’s hangover cure, head to the River Café just down the road for a lazy brunch, or even brave the Brecon Beacons National Park on foot, bicycle or horse back.

Sitting within the heart of the Duchy of Cornwall’s historic estate at the head of the Fowey valley, just one mile from the pretty town of Lostwithiel, this picture-perfect 400-year-old cottage surrounded by woodland walks is impeccably furnished with slate floors, period furniture, welsh woollen blankets and logs from the estate for the open fire. Board games and DVDs are supplied for rainy days, and you get access to the indoor swimming pool and other leisure facilities at Restormel Manor. There’s even complimentary fishing on the river Fowey. But then, we’d expect nothing less than the best from HRH Prince Charles.

This regal, four-storey Regency house in the centre of Cheltenham sets a grand, over-the-top Victoriana atmosphere for a decadent New Year do. It’s quirky and eclectic inside, with glam antique and period furniture – a portrait of a young Queen Elizabeth oversees the proceedings in the dining room, chesterfields abound in the drawing room, while the kitchen is state of the art and the bedrooms are nothing short of opulent.

A welcome hamper and Molton Brown toiletries come as standard and you can request a chef, a beauty therapist or have meals dropped off to make your New Year even more sublime.

An apartment around the corner is also available if you want to house another five guests.

Set in two acres of unspoilt north Norfolk coastline, you can stare out to sea from this cool and quirky hideaway.

There are four bedroom suites, each with a shower room and the master bedroom has a freestanding bath, and a big living, dining, kitchen space with an open fire and sliding doors that open out onto a private garden. For the festive season it will be decked out with a tree and decorations, too.

New guests are greeted by a “brown bag” full of local artisan food to get the holiday started. Holkham Hall and estate, and its famous gastropub the Victoria Inn, are a short drive away, as are the pretty market towns of Burnham Market and Holt, which has a fishmonger and butcher – just in case you need to stock up for your NYE feast.

This shabby-chic beach house has a laid-back Scandi feel with white-washed interiors, vintage furniture and a retro decor, especially at Christmas time when the wood-burning fire and rustic styling lends itself to mulled wine and mince pies.

The kitchen has a reclaimed wooded table that will easily seat ten and a smart Smeg oven. But you can also order meals to be dropped off (all you need to do it is heat them up), or hire a chef to cook for you.

It’s just a short stroll from the beach, down a quiet lane so you won’t have to worry about your dodgy karaoke, and the pub is a mere five minutes stagger away!

These sleek, contemporary wooden-and-glass eco-lodges tucked away in the Yorkshire Dales are just five minutes from the market town of Richmond and offer the ultimate bolthole for walkers and active families, with a concierge (ideal for booking one of the many amazing gastro pubs in the area and advising on walks), private chefs, babysitters and beauty therapists on hand to meet your every need.

Tucked away on the 400-acre Farnconbe Estate in the Vale of Evesham, this manor house comes with the facilities and service of the fabulous Dormy House Hotel, which also sits on the estate.

So you’ll get swanky rooms and service, a house manager to sort out any activities, food or cocktail requirements, full use of the award-winning Green House spa, gym and pool at Dormy House – the perfect place for a New Year’s Day detox – and a personal chef. Yes, really. Live the life of a lottery winner for one night, at least.

Fancy living it up in an Islington townhouse? This artfully restored five-bedroom home is offered as a stylish holiday rental, with an iPhone loaded with local tips and maps and a personal welcome.
There’s a fab local deli, Da Mario, around the corner to stock up on party food, as well as the Euphorium bakery and Ottolenghi nearby. Or you might want to head out for cocktails at 69 Colebrooke Row or to a gig at Union Chapel – it’s all in walking distance. Be warned – the Emirates Stadium is also in spitting distance, which will either be a draw, or something you might want to ignore.

Once your guests have picked their jaws up from the floor – this place is gobsmackingly extravagant and beautiful – you can play lord and lady of the manor at this magnificent country house estate, which comes with its own swimming pool and hot tub, gym, bowling alley, games room, cinema – with its own “chill-out kitchen for ice-cream and popcorn, tennis court and not forgetting the picturesque lake, complete with rowing boats.

There are seven super-king double bedrooms, all en-suite of course, a very grand sitting room and another, les grand one, plus a fabulous kitchen and dining room.

Naturally, among such splendid surroundings, it would be depressing have to lower yourself to cooking, so book the in-house chef to do it for you, or to pack a picnic for a country walk in the South Downs. It’s a stay you’ll never forget, although you may need to take out a small mortgage to afford it!

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